OpenShot 2.6.0 Released! How to Install it in Ubuntu 20.10, 20.04

Last updated: August 26, 2021

OpenShot video editor released v2.6.0 with new computer vision, AI and audio effects. The official PPA has been updated with Ubuntu 21.10 support.

After more than one year of development, the free open-source video editor released its “finest” version. According to the release note, OpenShot 2.6.0 features:

  • New Computer Vision and AI effects (motion tracking, object detection, stabilization)
  • Audio Effects (compressor, expander, distortion, delay, echo, noise, EQ, robot, whisper)
  • New Zoom Slider widget (simple way to navigate around the timeline)
  • New Transform Tool (resize, rotate, move, origin point, shear, scale, zoom in/out)
  • Improved Snapping (while positioning, trimming, playhead)
  • New Caption video effect (rasterize captions on top of video)
  • Audio Bug Fixes (more crackling/popping fixes)
  • FFmpeg 4 Support, Updated Blender Support, WebEngine + WebKit support
  • Parentable keyframes (parent clips and keyframes)
  • Improved performance & stability (while rendering, ruler drawing, timeline zooming)

See What’s New in OpenShot 2.6.0 via video:

How to Install OpenShot 2.6.0 in Ubuntu:

The video editor offers official Linux binary package via non-install Appimage.

However, the Ubuntu PPA is preferred and now supports for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, Ubuntu 21.10, and derivatives, e.g., Linux Mint 20.

1. Add OpenShot PPA

Search for and open terminal either from start menu (Show Applications or ‘Activities’ overview screen), or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:openshot.developers/ppa

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.

2. Install / Upgrade OpenShot

After adding the PPA, you can either install the editor via command:

sudo apt install openshot-qt python3-openshot

NOTE for Linux Mint need to run sudo apt update manually to refresh package cache.

Or upgrade it via Software Updater (Update Manager) if an earlier version was installed.

Uninstall OpenShot:

And to remove the video editor, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove openshot-qt python3-openshot

For the Ubuntu PPA, open “Software & Updates” and remove relevant line from ‘Other Software’ tab.

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Happy 30th Birthday to Linux!

Last updated: August 25, 2021

Today, August 25, is the 30th anniversary of Linux!

It was 30 years ago that Linus Torvalds announced the operating system, just a hobby!

Hello everybody out there using minix-

I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix; as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-sytem due to practical reasons)among other things.

I’ve currently ported bash (1.08) an gcc (1.40), and things seem to work. This implies that i’ll get something practical within a few months, and I’d like to know what features most people want. Any suggestions are welcome, but I won’t promise I’ll implement them :-)

Linux is a family of open-source operating systems based on the Linux kernel. The Kernel now has more than 31 million lines of code. And there are almost one thousand Linux distributions exist.

100% of the world’s top 500 supercomputers run on Linux. It’s trusted by NASA and JPL to run a helicopter on Mars.

And Linux is getting better and better on desktop with the power of GNOME, KDE, X11, Wayland, Ubuntu, Fedora, and the open-source communities!

Join us in celebrating 30 years of Linux

The Linux Foundation has some great images for the 30th anniversary. Get one and help celebrate Linux’s birthday on either social media or your mobile device.

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Psst – New Native Spotify App for Linux, Built in Rust & GTK

Last updated: August 24, 2021

For those don’t like Electron apps, ‘Psst’ is a new GTK client for the Spotify music service.

Since the official Spotify app for Linux is a web app running via Chromium engine, native Linux apps may be preferred. And ‘Psst’ is a free open-source app written in Rust programming language with GTK framework for user interface. Besides Linux, it also works on Windows and macOS.

The software is in very early development stage. It lacks features and defaults to GTK and pure X11, with Wayland backend in the works. So far, it features:

  • Dark / Light mode.
  • Vorbis track playback
  • Browsing saved albums and tracks
  • Save / unsave albums and tracks
  • Browsing followed playlists
  • Search for artist, albums, and tracks
  • Audio volume control
  • Audio loudness normalization
  • Media keys control
  • Open Spotify links
  • Genre playlists and “For You” content

Like ‘Spot’, another GTK client for Spotify, it only works with premium accounts!! Though there’s a hack to make it work with free accounts.

How to Install Psst in Ubuntu:

The app so far provides pre-build binary packages, available to download at the link below:

Download Psst package

For Ubuntu based systems, grab the ‘psst-deb.zip‘, extract and install the .deb package, either by double-clicking or using Gdebi package installer (install Gdebi from Ubuntu Software).

NOTE: The app so far even don’t have a logo icon. When launching from the start menu (‘Show Applications’), it will show a gear icon instead.

See Psst in github

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gThumb Image Viewer & Organizer 3.11.4 Adds AVIF/HEIF Support [PPA]

Last updated: September 20, 2021

The GNOME image viewer and organizer app, gThumb 3.11.4 was released! PPA updated with Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, and upcoming Ubuntu 21.10 support.

Thanks to libheif library, the new release introduced HEIF file format support, so it can now handle photos imported from your iOS devices. Also AVIF, an image file format specification for storing images or image sequences compressed with AV1 in the HEIF file format is supported, and you can save file as AVIF.

There’s a performance improvement for browsing directory with thousands of images, so users will get a smoother experience. The file list now starts more thumbnailers in parallel, status bar has a button to show the progress dialog. And the color picker tool shows colors in two more formats: rgb in % and hsl.

Other changes include:

  • Allow to set shortcuts to activate filters.
  • Added a template editor to edit text values with special codes: script commands, rename templates, print header and footer, etc.
  • Allow to mount unmounted volumes.
  • Allow to keep browsing while executing long-running external tools.
  • Show the properties in a single column to save horizontal space.
  • Bug-fixes and translation updates.

How to Install gThumb 3.11.4 in Ubuntu:

The software lacks a repository for Ubuntu packages. Besides building from the source tarball, I’ve made the packages into the unofficial PPA for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, Ubuntu 21.10, Linux Mint 20 and derivatives.

The Ubuntu 18.04 package is built without AVIF/HEIF support since it requires updated FFmpeg library (as dependency of libheif) that might break other packages in your system.
1.) Add the PPA

To add the PPA, open terminal either from the ‘show applications’ menu or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When terminal opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/apps

2.) Install / Upgrade gThumb

You can then either upgrade the image viewer from an old version via Update Manager (Software Updater), or run command in terminal:

sudo apt install gthumb

NOTE for Linux Mint, you have to run sudo apt update to refresh package cache first.

Uninstall gThumb & the Ubuntu PPA

To remove gThumb image viewer, run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove gthumb gthumb-data

To remove the Ubuntu PPA, either run the apt-add-repository command with --remove flag, or use Software & Updates -> Other Software.

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The Gnome 2 Fork – MATE Desktop 1.26 Released for Old Computers

Last updated: August 23, 2021

For those looking for a lightweight Linux Desktop Environment, MATE is a good choice besides XFCE and LXDE.

MATE is a free open-source fork of the classic Gnome 2 desktop. It also forked a list of core applications, e.g., Caja file manager from Nautilus, Pluma text editor from Gedit, MATE Terminal from Gnome Terminal.

Though it’s Gnome 2 continuation, MATE fully supports the GTK 3 application framework. And by releasing version 1.26, it introduced initial Wayland support.

MATE desktop is NOT specifically designed for older computers, but it’s really lightweight and works fast in low-cost computers, including Raspberry Pi.

What’s New in MATE 1.26

The new 1.26 release features Wayland support for its core applications, including Atril document viewer, System Monitor, Pluma text editor, MATE Terminal, MATE Panel and other components of the Desktop.

The text editor, Pluma, got a new mini map allows that gives you instant overview over the content. New grid background pattern can be toggled in Preferences. And you can press Ctrl+Y to show or hide the line numbers.

MATE Pluma Text Editor Grid pattern

The release also introduced a new indicator applet to toggle ‘Do Not Disturb‘ mode. The applet defaults to green and turns to white once you enable the function. As well, it offers options to change the theme, position of notification bubbles, and control which monitor to display.

The Caja file manager now supports adding current location into left pane as “Bookmark”. And you can format an external device via the context (right-click) menu. By right-clicking on the desktop, there’s an option to lock the desktop icons position.

The Atril document viewer is greatly improved, so it works faster and use even less memory. And the Engrampa archive now supports EPUB and ARC, as well as encrypted RAR archives.

Other changes include:

  • Display settings now has option for scaling.
  • Hyperlinks support for notifications.
  • Option to disable mouse scrolling in Window List applet.
  • Add history support for the Calculator.
  • Option to reduce keyboard backlight when on battery.
  • And much more other changes, see release note for details.

How to Get MATE 1.26 in Linux:

For apt-based systems, Ubuntu MATE is a good choice to try out the MATE desktop. The Ubuntu flavor will update to mate 1.26 soon.

For Arch Linux and Manjaro based system with MATE, a single command will update the desktop environment to the latest:

sudo pacman -Syu

And for Fedora 34 users, the MATE 1.26 is now in the build system, tagged with f34-updates-candidate. I don’t know how the Fedora repository works, it may/might be published in next few days.

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Replace ‘Activities’ with System Logo Menu in Gnome (Ubuntu, Fedora, CentOS)

Last updated: August 21, 2021

For users switching from macOS, there’s a GNOME Extension to replace the top-left corner ‘Activities‘ with system logo menu.

So the top-left corner will display your selected logo icon instead of the ‘Activities’ button. When you click on it, a drop-down menu opens with options to quick access:

  • About system page.
  • System Settings.
  • Software Center.
  • Activities.
  • Force Quit App – it runs xkill so mouse pointer turns to a fork icon. Click any app window will kill it! Or right-click to cancel.
  • Terminal.
  • Gnome Extensions App.

This will make one more click to access the ‘Activities’ overview screen. You can however press Win/Super key instead, or enable “Activities Overview Hot Corner” (hit top-left corner via cursor) in Gnome Tweaks under ‘Top Bar’ settings.

Install the Logo Menu Extension:

The extension works on all recent Gnome releases shipped in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, Ubuntu 21.10, Debian 11, Fedora 34, CentOS 8, Arch Linux, and more.

For Ubuntu, firstly open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run command to install the browser integration package for installing Gnome Shell extensions via your web browser. As well, install the Gnome Extensions App to manage them.

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell gnome-shell-extension-prefs

Next go to the extension page via the link button below, turn on the slider icon to install it:

Gnome Logo Menu Extension

If you don’t see the toggle icon, install the browser extension via ‘click here to install browser extension’ link and refresh the web page.

Restart Gnome Shell if the ‘Activities‘ button does not change. To do so, either press Alt+F2, type r, and hit Enter, or log out and back in.

And finally press Win/Super key on keyboard, search for and open ‘Gnome Extensions App‘. Then click on the gear button to configure the extension:

  • choose desired icon, since it defaults to Fedora logo.
  • adjust the icon size.
  • specify executable for terminal and software center (For Ubuntu, it’s snap-store by default).

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How to Install LibreOffice 7.2 in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.10

Last updated: December 25, 2021

The LibreOffice office suite 7.2 was released with many new features and improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, and Ubuntu 21.10.

LibreOffice is the default office suite available in Ubuntu as well as many other Linux Distributions out-of-the-box. It’s made up of a Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math, and database management tools, and supports the file formats of MicroSoft Office.

What’s new in Libreoffice 7.2

LibreOffice 7.2 was released as the latest major release with new command popup HUD (“Heads-up display”). By going to “Help -> Search Commands” or pressing Shift+Esc on keyboard, it brings up the command box allows to search for and execute actions.

The release introduced a Dark color scheme, so the app window can be set to fully dark for working at night. Also, it added new scrollable style picker in Notebookbar, fontwork panel in sidebar. And the templates dialog got a list view, the global toolbar lock can now switched off via “View -> Toolbars”.

For Libreoffice Writer, Impress & Draw, all background fills can now be set to either cover the page inside the margins or the entire page.

Other changes in LibreOffice 7.2 include:

  • Writer:
    • Show various indexes and the mouse-over tooltip for a hyperlink to a document index entry mark.
    • Page styles now have a gutter margin
    • Added label and business card paper: A-One, Hisago, Sanwa Supply, Daiso.
    • Improved font caching to speed up text rendering.
    • Reduced opening time for some DOCX file.
  • Calc:
    • Added traditional Japanese month names, Japanese era name.
    • Implemented the Kahan summation algorithm.
    • Introduced ‘fat-cross’ cursor.
    • Redesigned Paste Special dialog.
  • IMPRESS & Draw:
    • Added Candy, Freshes, Grey Elegant, Growing Liberty, Yellow Idea templates.
    • Removed Alizarin, Bright Blue, Classy Red, Impress, Lush Green.
    • PDF signature verification is now based on PDFium
    • Multiple columns layout in LibreOffice text boxes.
    • Performance improvements for loading large images, and faster drawing of semi-transparent images.

How to Install LibreOffice 7.2 in Ubuntu:

There are a few ways to get the packages installed in Ubuntu, though the official PPA is highly recommended (see method 3)!

Method 1: LibreOffice Appimage

Without installing the software package, the Appimage is an universal Linux package format that can be run directly to launch the office suite.

Download LibreOffice Appimage

Just grab the “Fresh” version from the link button above. Then add executable permission, and right-click to run it:

Method 2: LibreOffice Snap:

Snap is the easiest way to install the office suite in Ubuntu. It’s official and updates automatically! Just search for ‘LibreOffice’ in Ubuntu Software and install the one from ‘snapcraft.io’:

NOTE: since the pre-installed one is native DEB package. You’ll have duplicated LibreOffice icons in ‘Activities’ overview search result after installed the Snap package.

Method 3: Install LibreOffice via Ubuntu PPA (RECOMMEND)

The official PPA is always preferred and recommended. It will upgrade the pre-installed LibreOffice packages to the latest and integrate well into Ubuntu desktop.

I put it as the last method because the PPA is not updated for the release at the moment. The maintainer has been building and testing the packages. And, now it’s ready for all current Ubuntu releases.

1. Add LibreOffice PPA

First open terminal from your system start menu (click top-left corner ‘Activities’, search for and open terminal). When it opens, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa

So far, the PPA supports for Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, Ubuntu 21.10, and Linux Mint 20.

Next, you can upgrade the office suite using Software Updater (Update Manager) utility.

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How to Install Kdenlive 21.08 in Ubuntu 21.10 via PPA

Last updated: August 19, 2021

KDE’s Kdenlive Video editor 21.08 was released. The official PPA added Ubuntu 21.10 “Impish Indri” support.

Kdenlive, stands for KDE Non-Linear Video Editor, is a free and open-source video editor for KDE though it also works on other desktop environment. And version 21.08 was finally released a few days later than other KDE Gear 21.08 apps.

The new release based on MLT 7 framework which has removed the Automask effect, along with many other legacy and buggy modules. The region module is also removed and replaced with new Effect Masking feature. As well, the old and unmaintained tools like the DVD Wizard and the Preview Compositing mode has been removed.

Kdenlive 21.08 got an improved performance, so users will have a smoother experience when importing hundreds of files and gigabytes and panning through the timeline.

Other features in the release include:

  • The new Time Remap feature allows to keyframe the speed of a clip.
  • Apply effects to only affect specific regions of a clip using masks.
  • Easily moves Guides along with clips using the Spacer Tool via the new Guides Locked option.
  • Ability to assign shortcuts to raise dock widgets.
  • Ability to assign shortcuts to 3 keyframe functions: Add/Remove Keyframe, Go to next keyframe and Go to previous keyframe.
  • Additional options to the same track transitions: Duration, Reverse and Alignment.
  • The command bar (toggle via Ctrl+Alt+i) to easily search for any action in Kdenlive, such as changing themes, adding effects, opening files and more.
  • New Copy value at cursor position to clipboard option
  • New mapping modes and options when importing tracked data
  • Option to go to start if playback started on timeline end

How to Install Kdenlive 21.08 in Ubuntu via PPA:

The Kdenlive official PPA has been updated with the latest packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 21.04, Ubuntu 21.10, and their derivatives, e.g, Linux Mint 20, Elementary OS 6, and Zorin OS 16.

1.) Add Ubuntu PPA:

Open ‘terminal’ from your system application menu, then run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:kdenlive/kdenlive-stable

Type your password when it asks (no asterisk feedback) and hit Enter to continue.

2. ) Install or Upgrade Kdenlive:

If an old version of kdenlive was installed, you can upgrade it via Update Manager:

Or simply run command in terminal to install the video editor:

sudo apt install kdenlive

NOTE for Linux Mint or may be other Ubuntu based systems, you need to update the package cache manually by running sudo apt update command before installing the software.

Uninstall:

To purge the PPA as well as downgrade Kdenlive package, run command in terminal:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:kdenlive/kdenlive-stable

To remove the PPA only, run command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:kdenlive/kdenlive-stable

And to remove Kdenlive, run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove kdenlive kdenlive-data
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Zorin OS 16 Released! New Modern Beginner Friendly Linux based on Ubuntu 20.04

Last updated: August 18, 2021

Zorin OS 16 was officially released! Features Ubuntu 20.04 LTS package base, Kernel 5.11, and modified Gnome Desktop 3.36.

Zorin OS is an open-source Linux distribution for personal computers. It provides an user friendly desktop appearance based on Gnome. With built-in utility, it allows to single click changing UI layout to original Gnome, classic or modern Windows style.

A lightweight version is also available for old computers based on XFCE desktop environment. And it features “Zorin Connect”, GSConnect / KDE Connect similar implementation to link your Android phone and computer together.

What’s New in Zorin OS 16:

The new release introduced a revamped and refined desktop appearance, along with new wallpaper changes automatically according time of day.

The lock screen now displays a blurred version of desktop wallpaper, just like what it does in Ubuntu 20.04 LT. Follow GNOME 40, Zorin OS now has multi-touch gestures out-of-the-box for laptop users. The finger gestures are however a little different, and I prefer the way in Gnome and Elementary OS 6.

Touch-pad gestures:

  • 4 fingers up/down to switch workspaces.
  • Pinch with 3 fingers to trigger activities overview.

The Pro edition introduced a Windows 11 style desktop layout, though this edition need to play for downloading.

Other changes include:

  • Support flatpak and snap out-of-the-box.
  • New sound recorder app.
  • Redesigned Zorin Appearance
  • New Jelly mode to toggle wobbly window effect.
  • Better fingerprint reader support with simpler setup
  • Fractional scaling for high-resolution displays

Short overview of Zorin OS 16 via YouTube video:

And to get Zorin OS dico image, go to its website.

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SMPlayer 21.8.0 Adds macOS Support, Linux Appimage, Flatpak, & Snap

Last updated: August 18, 2021

SMPlayer media player released version 21.8.0 with official dmg package for macOS, and more binary packages for Linux users.

SMPlayer is a free open-source video player for Windows and Linux. By releasing v21.8.0, it finally adds macOS support officially. It uses MPV and/or MPlayer multimedia engine, so it can play virtually all video and audio formats.

The player remembers the settings of all files you play, so when you open an unfinished movie it will be resumed at the same point you left it, as well as the same settings. It also has built-in YouTube browser, allows to search for and click to play YouTube video directly in the media player.

I always keep SMPlayer in my system as an alternative media player, because it has some useful features that I need. They include:

  • ability to fetch subtitles from internet.
  • cast to smart phone and chromecast.
  • rotate video and change aspect ratio while playback.

What’s New in SMPlayer 21.8.0

Besides the macOS package, Linux Appimage, Flatpak, and Snap support, the release also include following changes:

  • Better automatic resizing of the main window, trying to prevent black borders.
  • Add option to rotate the video by 180 degrees.
  • Add some predefined speeds (0.25x, 0.5x, 1.25x, 1.5x, 1.75x).
  • Prevent a one second delay when using play prev/next.
  • The installation of YouTube support is now optional on Windows.
  • Disable power saving on Linux Wayland during playback.
  • And some bug-fixes.

How to Get SMPlayer:

The media player now is available at Github. All the binary packages as well as source tarball are available to download at the link below:

Download SMPlayer

For Linux, since Appimage is a non-install executable, Flatpak and Snap are universal package formats need separate daemons to run in sandbox, native .deb / .rpm package may still be preferred.

To install and keep SMPlayer native packages up-to-date, you can either use the official OBS repository for Arch Linux, Debian, Fedora, openSUSE.

Or use the official Ubuntu PPA for all current Ubuntu releases, Linux Mint, and derivatives.

1. Add Ubuntu PPA.

Open terminal either from start menu (click top-left ‘Activities’, search for and open terminal), or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer

Type user password, no asterisk feedback, and hit Enter to continue. So for, it supports Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 20.04, and Ubuntu 21.04.

2. Install / Upgrade SMPlayer:

After adding the PPA, you can either install it via command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install smplayer smtube

or upgrade the player via Software Updater (Update Manager) if an old release was installed.

Uninstall SMPlayer in Ubuntu:

To remove the PPA, either open “Software & Updates”, go to “Other Software” line and remove the relevant repository line, or run command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:rvm/smplayer

To remove the media player, run command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove smplayer smtube
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